US 2010/096562 A1 discloses a medium having at least one planar structure with a plurality of apertures on one side. The apertures are in one direction smaller than a diffraction limit of the medium. Sample medium adjacent to the planar structure can be illuminated by evanescent waves through the apertures.
WO 2009/001245 A1 discloses a sensor comprising: (i) a substrate in which an excitation radiation having a predetermined wavelength may propagate; (ii) a wiregrid at a first side of said substrate, having at least one aperture or slit arranged for being filled with a medium which comprises at least one particle to be detected, the latter being to be excited via said excitation radiation; and (iii) at least on reflective means, arranged at a second side of said substrate which is opposite to the first side, to reflect towards the wiregrid at least a part of excitation radiation that propagate into the substrate and that has been reflected at least once by the wiregrid.
US 2010/0065726 A1 discloses substrates, methods and devices for use in various applications, including single-molecule analytical reactions. WO 2006/135782 A2 discloses a system for detecting separately and substantially simultaneously light emissions from a plurality of localized light-emitting analytes. The system comprises a sample holder having structures formed thereon for spatially separating and constraining a plurality of light-emitting analytes each having a single nucleic acid molecule or a single nucleic acid polymerizing enzyme, a light source configured to illuminate the sample holder, and an optical assembly configured to collect and detect separately and substantially simultaneously light emissions associated with the plurality of light emitting analytes. The system may further include a computer system configured to analyze the light emissions to determine the structures or properties of a target nucleic acid molecule associated with each analyte.